


Spark

by MidnightofLight



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 15:53:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3615657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightofLight/pseuds/MidnightofLight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Eren had been saved from Kenny Ackerman, he returned home with the Survey Corps. He was fine. He was okay. So why didn’t the brat get up and vow his vengeance to kill the titans like he used to?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spark

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: References to torture just in case anyone is uncomfortable...  
> Other than that, enjoy!

It was Eren’s fourth day bedridden that Corporal Levi Ackerman finally got the hint that something was incredibly wrong with the young titan shifter. Not to put him off as a complete asshole—which he could be—but Eren Jaeger, the boy who never stopped moving, was in need of a break after the amount of shit he faced. Though, Levi never actually thought the boy would take the amount of rest he did. His physical injuries healed within twenty four hours and within two days, his broken leg had reformed back into shape. He was fine. He was okay. So why didn’t the brat get up and vow his vengeance to kill the titans like he used to?

Levi knew he wasn’t as recovered at everyone thought. The boy had been through indiscernible torture, and then after he was saved, accidently hurt one of the other brats—Connie, he thought it was—in their squad, and then killed an older veteran when he moved to fight. It wasn’t directly this fault. They knew to stay out of the way when Eren shifted, especially when under pressured circumstances like that. So while it wasn’t necessarily his own doing, Eren probably still blamed himself.

And Levi knew what guilt could do to a person, especially when it consisted of feeling bad about the ones he cared about. Boy, did he know. In fact, the whole Survey Corps had somewhat of an idea what it was like to not be fast or strong enough. Self-blame was a dick that everyone disliked.

As he walked down the hall carrying a tray filled with bread and potatoes, Levi sighed, knowing very well he shouldn’t have to deliver food to the boy’s bed. He was fully capable of getting up and walking on his own two damn feet. Besides, Levi was not some kind of fucking maid.

But, Eren was hurt, and the only person he would let into his room was Levi—only to push him away the minute he got what he wanted. Levi didn’t know whether to chastise his selfishness, or let his heart break at the hands that quickly snatched the food away before a shaky voice told him to _‘get out’._

Levi hated when people told him what to do, especially young brats like Eren. He was a commanding officer; superior to them in every way, shape, and form. Hell, he was considered Humanity’s Strongest, placed on a high pedestal by subordinates. They knew better than to ask for favors.

Still, the titan shifter asked and got what he wanted, because after seeing that pleading look in his large eyes, Levi couldn’t say no.

Because in the amount of time he’d known him, that vibrant personality and glowing, turquoise eyes had somehow managed to wriggle their way through the barriers of his heart, kicking down the wall like the Colossal Titan, and creating a soft spot that couldn’t be repaired. Barriers be damned. This boy was something else; someone who had perked Levi’s interest for the first time since he was a hormonal teenager.

When he opened the door to Eren’s new quarters—the basement had proved to be an indecent place to keep him in this condition—Levi hoped he would find Eren pulling on 3DMG gear, struggling to tighten the straps, but ready to go about the day. He didn’t. Instead, Levi was met with the disgusting, musty stench of an unmoving person. His nose crinkled. This wasn’t Eren’s scent. The titan shifter smelled like pine with the slightest hint of mud, but also the faint undertone of soap. Not whatever _that_ was.

Eren hadn’t gotten out of bed since he was laid there. Levi could tell he’d made no attempt to restart a normal schedule. The boy was still huddled under the covers in a pathetic, ball-like shape, face and all covered by thin sheets. Out of annoyance and pity, Levi sighed, but at the same time his heart weirdly clenched.  He wished he could call Eren a brat and tear the covers off of him—to watch the boy fluster. That’s what he used to do most mornings.

But now things were different. More complicated.

“Oi,” Levi called, placing the tray down, careful not to disturb the portioned meal. It was gross when food mixed together. “Get up. Dinners here.”

Eren stirred, sat slowly against the bedframe. He kept his head down, shaggy brown hair falling over dull eyes. He hadn’t looked at Levi—at anyone—since he was saved. That heated determination he got the moment he was unshackled disappeared with the ride home. Perhaps they left Eren’s spirit behind in that cold place.

It was sad to think that, but at the same time annoying; _frustrating._ He wanted the boy to look at him with that eyebrow furrow and tell him that he would be okay—that there were still titans who needed slaughtered and he wouldn’t sit and cry until it was all over. That was the Eren he knew. This guy couldn’t even exert enough muscles to look his superior in the damn eyes.

“Eren,” he tried to make his voice soft, but the titan shifter still flinched. Comfort when people weren’t dying had never been Levi’s forte. He didn’t know what to say to a tortured brat, but he would be able to lull the boy if he were ripped apart on the battlefield. “Look at me,” the tone wasn’t any lighter.

Eren shook his head, instead reaching out to grab a piece of bread. He nibbled at it miserably, but set it down before he actually made a dent. Levi clenched his fists. What the fuck did this thing do with Eren? Eren, who would listen with fiery stubbornness, never disobeying, but at the same time forcing his own will and agenda on everyone.

Levi had enough of four days of the same shit. He wasn’t a patient man. Besides, the Survey Corps were getting restless—the mission beyond the walls had already been postponed countless amount of times due to his boy’s insufferable attraction to misery.

“Look at me before I hit you.”

When Eren lifted his head, Levi regretted the order with all his life. He could rightfully conclude this thing was just a dummy. Those green orbs were not the eyes of Eren Jaeger. They were imposters. Had to be. Never had Levi ever seen the titan shifter look so…so…

Broken beyond repair.

Levi caught his breath before it managed to leave his chest, blood running cold with anger. Although he looked completely cool on the outside, an eyebrow only rising in slight interest, everything inside was seething with undeniable rage. _That bastard Kenny Ackerman,_ he thought, fingers digging into the skin of his palms.. The man had managed to do the impossible. He had torn the vibrant life away from Eren, leaving them with a corpse that hardly resembled the boy.

Levi’s lips moved before he had time to comprehend what he was going to say.

“Talk, Eren,” he ordered. The boy flinched again. _Dammit._ Being cold and demeaning had its perks—everyone respected and never asked questions, but now he really needed some warmth, but the one he typically drew it from was down for the count, his own fire extinguished. When Eren didn’t respond, Levi added near silent, _“please.”_

 When he did speak for the first time in a near week, his voice was cackled from misuse; quiet in a way Levi had never heard it before.

“Captain,” Eren paused. He was staring past him, finding the wall more interesting than Levi’s own two eyes. _Why won’t he look at me?_ Levi felt like a small child pining for attention. “I don’t want you to come see me anymore.”

…

Eren should’ve been lucky that Levi was a master in the art of self-control, because he really felt like punching the boy across the mouth. The notion was absolutely ridiculous. What was Eren thinking? That he could just lie in bed all of his life as a war raged on outside? Whether he liked it or not, they needed him…some in more ways than others.

 “What the hell? You’re the one who asked for me to bring you stuff in the first place.”

Eren shrugged, head falling back down. He drew out a response—voice monotone in a way that pissed Levi off. “I’ll be able to survive, Captain, thank you.”

Levi couldn’t help but think how un-fucking-true that was. At the moment, he was barely hanging onto life—just letting it go by as he lay around. He didn’t want to find the boy dead one day because he forgot to feed himself.  Besides, he should’ve really yelled at Eren for ordering him around for what had to be the twentieth time, but Levi’s voice caught in his throat when he saw that he was trembling, holding back obvious tears. God, this was irritating. Eren Jaeger wouldn’t cry over a simple threat.

He could remember when Eren would reply with a sharp retort before obeying. He never told Levi what to do, because he had too much respect for the Captain. Then again, Eren was never this broken before.

With a small huff Levi sat down on the bed beside Eren, cringing as it creaked under the added weight. The mattress was hard, just like all their beds, so Levi couldn’t fathom how Eren managed to stay there for nearly a week. He saw the boy stiffen when his arm brushed against his and while Levi felt an annoying tingle at the small touch, he could tell that Eren didn’t get the same feeling.

“What have you been shitting out these last few days?” Levi asked. He was never good at talking to people, especially when it came to comfort. Maybe he should’ve had those little brat friends of his speak to the boy—but something told Levi that Eren wouldn’t listen.

“Nothing,” Eren whispered. Then he added in a quieter voice, “please, Captain, just leave me alone. It’ll be for the better.”

“No.”

Levi had always been stubborn.

But Eren had always been equally stubborn.

The boy—in a feeble attempt of being the strong person he used to be—pushed at Levi’s shoulder to try and get him off the bed. The Captain stared at him in shock, steely eyes narrowing at the realization that Eren Jaeger had just disrespected his superior in one of the worst ways. Levi glared at him, considered yelling for a split second, before softening his gaze when Eren began to speak in that quivering voice.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” his body started to shake as small sobs racked his body. “Captain, I hurt my friends. They all think I’m a monster,” Eren looked up with that dull expression. There was hollowness in his cheeks and darkness under his eyes that made Levi see just how bad this situation had become. Not even when he’d been saved had he looked so exhausted.

And then came in the smallest of voices;

 “Captain, do _you_ think I’m a monster?”

Levi sucked in a sharp breath.

How could he answer this? He could lie and tell the boy he wasn’t a monster, but a weapon for humanity. Though, if he did that, Eren would just argue until he heard what he wanted to hear. Besides, Levi wasn’t one to skip the truth. He was blunt, to the point, and if you didn’t agree with what he said then you could go sit in a pile of shit for all he cared.

“Yes,” he said, but squeezed Eren’s shoulder in reassurance. The boy managed a particularly loud sob before Levi could continue. “You’re a titan, so that makes you a monster. But let me tell you something, Jaeger, just because you are a monster doesn’t mean you’re any less human.”

Eren moved to his head to the side. Of course he didn’t understand.

“Dense brat,” he muttered. “Listen, I’ve hurt my fair share of people. I know how it feels. So stop being a piss baby and suck it up.”

His words of encouragement sounded a lot less harsh in his head. He wished Eren didn’t flinch like that. It wasn’t Levi’s fault this all happened, or that he couldn’t coo and comfort the boy until he regained his courage. But it had become his responsibility. Levi wasn’t one to put off tasks.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Eren repeated.

“I’m not a damn doll.”

It was true. If it came down to it, Levi would be able to take Eren down with ease. The Captain had seen more in his life than those of the Garrison combined. With a small flick of his wrist, he would end Eren. Though, it would not happen without remorse. Throughout his time in the Corps, Eren Jaeger had become less of a weapon and more of a close companion to Levi, even if everyone else thought he was just a titan.

“It would be better if I was left alone,” Eren tried. “Nobody gets hurt.”

 “What about Arlert and Ackerman?” Levi asked. “They’ll miss you.”

There was a sad chuckle that left Eren’s mouth, “nobody will miss a monster.”

Levi could tell he was holding in way more than he was letting out. So, throwing all the caution and feigned disinterest he held to the wind, the Captain ran a thumb over Eren’s lips. Chapped. They were chapped, and there were probably millions of germs crawling on the skin.

Levi decided he didn’t care.

His fingers, long and scarred, moved down and lightly grasped Eren’s chin. He pulled Eren forward to meet his lips. Any consequences be damned. The whole world and its shitty ways be damned. This boy was something else, and he might’ve been broken, but Levi could fix that eventually. Anything could be fixed.

The kiss wasn’t urgent or long. It was more of a soft peck than anything. Levi pulled back so that their foreheads were touching, and in an uncharacteristic gesture, lifted his hand to caress Eren’s cheek. The disgusting thought of swapping saliva was pushed to the back of Levi’s mind in favor of helping Eren.

“I’ll miss you.”

The look Eren gave would’ve been endearing if it wasn’t for those damned eyes. His cheeks were flushed in a way Levi hadn’t seen in a while, finally showing some color in the low light of the awful smelling room.

“Would you?” Eren asked.

Eren Jaeger was an annoying brat who worked too hard and didn’t understand sarcasm, but the Captain couldn’t imagine a world without this hope.

“Stop overthinking,” Levi told him.

Eren nodded and they leaned in again, lips melding together in a more passionate kiss. Levi could comfort in more ways in one, very bad at that. This was just much better than a few meaningless words. Levi’s heart welled in his chest uncomfortably. Kissing certainly wasn’t a first for the Captain, but the feeling he got from Eren was something he never experienced before. It was like a fire had been suddenly lite in him, scaring away the cold if for only a second.

As Levi pulled Eren close, he just maybe saw a small, familiar spark in the boy’s eyes. Maybe.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted a fanfic where Levi wasn't insanely harsh...  
> It was originally posted on tumblr, but I've decided to post it here too.  
> Have any prompts? I'm accepting some on my tumblr:  
> http://midnightoflight.tumblr.com/  
> Thank you :)


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